For digital light projection (DLP) systems, a need exists for an optical system capable of producing a substantially uniform and substantially white light in the illumination path. Traditional optical systems for DLP systems typically include light sources such as, for example, high intensity mercury lamps or xenon lamps. However, these traditional optical systems and corresponding light sources suffer from drawbacks such as, for example, non-uniformity of light, non-white light, and insufficient brightness. Moreover, the excess heat generation and high design complexity of these traditional optical systems require complicated and expensive procedures and techniques to manufacture the optical systems.
Thus, it is desirable to provide an optical system which is able to overcome the above disadvantages and which can be manufactured in an inexpensive and efficient fashion.
It is therefore desirable to provide an optical system including LED arrays and corresponding optical concentrator elements that can be utilized in DLP systems, and that does not suffer from the above drawbacks experienced by traditional optical systems. Additionally, while addressing these problems, the optical system including LED arrays and corresponding optical concentrator elements of the present invention will simultaneously provide superior uniformity of light, white light, and brightness desired in DLP systems.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the detailed description of the invention hereinbelow.